I’m kind of a black-sheep atheist of the family. One of my aunts, a sister of my mother, is married to an Assemblies of God preacher. So of course, they all so worried about my immortal soul. I received an interesting Christmas card from them yesterday.
The front of the card:
Hundreds and even thousands of year before Jesus the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, God had spoken many prophecies about His coming. (blah, blah, blah) He had to fulfill every prophecy that was ever spoken and written … and He did. Every single one.
That’s just the set up. Inside there’s a long list of supposed prohecies and the verses where they were “fulfilled”. Then there’s the bit about prophecies concerning his “second coming”. I swear I’ve never seen a card wo so much text.
Isn’t it enough to prostelyze every time I see you in person? Why can’t you send a basic “wishing you a merry Christmas” card. Jeez. I know that you’re super religious. I know you think I’m going to hell. But do you have to annoy me with every interaction?
Well, given your description of her, I doubt that this card was aimed specifically at you; more likely, she just bought a box of uber-Jesusy Xmas cards to distribute. Considering also that this is putatively the celebration of You Know Who’s birth, you really ought to let this one slide. Pick your battles and all that.
For shits and giggles, you might want to e-mail your aunt a link to this page.
Yes, it’s fucking annoying that every single interaction with someone has to be a chance for them to save my soul. They had to search for a special distributor for this card. When’s the last time you saw a card with 20 Bible cites at the Hallmark store? Hell, I’d not been bugged if it was simply a “Jesus is the reason for the season” type or a quote of Luke 2:11. But this thing is chock full of preachin’.
Don’t you think they’d be annoyed if I used every opportunity to try to debunk their religious convictions? When I visit for the holidays I avoid religious discussions out of respect. Why can’t they?
I send out holiday cards in December. I make sure there is no mention of “Christmas” or any images denoting a certain religions (Christmas tree, Santa Claus, angels, etc.) Just “Season’s Greetings,” or “Happy Holidays” and perhaps a nice winter scene (mine this year have birds). The holiday season is not religious for everyone, XJETGIRLX. And more than one religion celebrate a holiday this month too.
Except that, since you apparently didn’t read the OP, they didn’t send him a “religious themed” Christmas card. For instance a manger scene and God Bless you. They sent him a shortened Chick Tract.
Look, I’m a christian (NOT FUNDIE), and even I’D be annoyed with that sort of arrogance. Not to mention, it says right IN the bible (in more KJV verbiage of course), that we’re not supposed to go around shoving our beleifs down people’s throats, and alll sorts of other verses to that effect.
Homebrew, I sympathize, but seriously, did you expect for your fundamentalist relatives to let the second most important holiday in Christianity go by without taking the opportunity to loudly trumpet their faith/proselytize to you?
Ah, of course you didn’t. You’re just venting. Well, vent away. Also, I’m sure that while cards toting a score of bible verses on them aren’t at many Hallmarks, they’re probably the first thing inside the door at Christian bookstores this time of year.
Hey, fuck off! Homebrew is expressing a perfectly normal irritation at being preached at in an over-the-top Christmas card. He’s venting, so let him! The Godbotherers won’t let the rest of us enjoy eggnog and cookies oh no, we have to genuflect to their godling in the manger, too
But he’s not bitching about a Holiday card. He’s bitching about a Christmas card, sent by an admittedly very-religious family member.
It’s one thing to say, “I don’t celebrate the religious aspect of the season and would appreciate a more neutral greeting”. He specifically derided the use of religion in a Christmas card.
I don’t see how giving someone a card (that they can do with what they please) is ‘shoving’ your religion down someone’s throat.
Christ almighty, I understand that he’s not religious, but you can’t dictate how other people celebrate their religious holidays. If his family wants to send out religious holiday cards, more power to 'em. If he doesn’t agree with the sentiment, he can drop it in the trash - no skin off his back.
He’s saying he wants a non-religious christmas card. He didn’t say he wanted a ‘holiday card’, but rather he was bitching about the use of religion in a christmas card sent to him.
No. I derided the use of an overwhelmingly, decidedly fundamentalist, preachy Christmas card. They know I don’t believe. They could have just as easily sent a simple “Merry Christmas” card; but they went to the trouble of finding evangelistic one. It’s not a celebratory card, it’s a witnessing card. It is annoying. My mother sent me one with Mary and the baby Jesus on it that says “Have a Blessed Christmas” on the outside and “Let’s remember the reason for Christmas” on the inseide. It was simple and religious; but not evangelical. It didn’t bother me and I didn’t feel like it was preachy. If you can’t tell the difference than you’re a simpleton.
And how do you know it was any trouble? How do you know she doesn’t have half a case of them left in her basement from Y2K? Why do you feel the need to let it bother you so much? Seriously, she was trying to send you a message that was powerful and meaningful for her, hoping to share it with you. You happen to disagree with the sentiment, no harm, no foul.